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4 Ways to Protect Yourself During a Burglary

Imagine
sitting in the comfort of your home, your castle, and suddenly finding yourself
face-to-face with a burglar or two, breaking in while you are home alone. This
was not just a scenario, but also a very real and scary reality for the mother
of a colleague of mine.

The
mother was home alone and heard the doorbell ring. She went to the door, peered
through the peephole, and saw two girls outside. She didn't recognize them and
assumed they were selling something. The homeowner did not want to be bothered
with a sales pitch so she did not answer the door.

Perhaps
a minute after the two girls walked away, the woman heard the doorbell again.
She peered through the peephole once again and this time saw two men outside
the door. Again, she ignored the doorbell, thinking that the two were more
solicitors. However, this time the two did not just walk away. One of the men
walked across the porch to a nearby window that opened into the front room. The
window was open and he immediately began climbing through the screen into the
home. The woman began screaming and ran to another part of the house. She turned
and saw the male climbing back outside and she had the presence of mind to
realize that the two burglars might try to enter through the back door, which
was unlocked as well, or one of the other open windows. She ran to the back of
the house and began locking up before calling police.

She was
not hurt and nothing was taken. For many police officers and security professionals,
this would seem like a relatively minor offense. After all, it is a property
crime and no one was hurt. However, my friend's mother was extremely upset
afterwards. She would not stay home alone and insisted that an alarm system be
installed. The family even considered buying a firearm for protection. In
short, she no longer felt safe in her home.

The
good news is that the police caught the suspects a few days later. All four
were working together, with the girls checking on which homes were empty for
the two men who were following and would commit the burglary.

Burglary
crime prevention tips usually focus on how to protect yourself when no one is
home. This case though points out the risks when you are home during a
burglary. Some crooks are so brazen that they will enter a home in the early
evening during dinner and sneak to bedrooms or other areas, searching for
valuables. These thieves have found that homes are often unlocked in the
evening, but these thieves are a rare breed and target large, upper-scale
homes.

Most
burglars who encounter an occupant will be just as upset or even scared as the
victim. And that could be dangerous too, if the burglar resorts to violence in
a panic.

So,
what should a homeowner do, if you happen to surprise a burglar in your home?

1.Prevention. Keep doors locked even when at home. If
you want open windows, an ideal solution would be to block or lock the window
where it is only open enough for air flow, but not large enough for someone to
come in.

2.Plan. Think through your plan in advance. Ask a couple of simple
what-if questions about how to respond if you encounter a burglar. It is no
different from thinking about how you would escape during a fire.

3.Createa “safe” room.
Set up a location where you can escape to, if you cannot leave the home. A room
with a sturdy lock and a phone is ideal so you can call for police. If you are
comfortable with the idea, you may keep a gun here for protection as well. Most
crooks, as in the case above, will leave once they realize they’ve been
discovered. However, some may try to corner the homeowner and this becomes a
very dangerous situation. In fact, it is no longer a burglary, but a robbery,
and the victim could be in danger. If the crook knows you are barricaded in a
room, the police are on the way and you are armed, then they may very likely
leave in a hurry.

4.Staycalm. It is easy
to say, but harder in a real-life scary situation. Take deep breaths and stay
focused on what you need to do. Having a plan will definitely help as you will
be following steps you already thought about. Ultimately, your mind and ability
to outthink the crook is your best weapon and best defense.

Realizing
the potential risks and thinking through the steps you will follow helps you
survive a chance encounter with a burglar.

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Eric is available for staff education and
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provide safe workplaces. To learn more email Eric at businesskarate dot com.

If you
would like to reprint this post, please contact Eric at Eric at businesskarate dot com.